Messages

I new I spelled that rong seein as how I'm born and rased in Texas.

Thanks for the info.  This bike is an ebay special and a previous owner must have lost the reverse thread nut on the crank and had tried to use a standard thread one.  Guess I'll try to clean up the threads and see if I can get the flywheel to tighten down.  Thanks again.

Tom

Yes, I talked to Al some time back and got a number of '78 specific parts from him but the inner fenders he has are the -000 part numbers made to go with the aluminum air boxes on the 76/77 MC5's.  I also have a 76 MC5 250 which uses the -000 style as well as a couple off of 76/77 parts bikes and have tried to make them fit but  they're a little to wide to fit properly.  This bike didn't have one when I got it so I'm not sure exactly what other differences there might be. This one has an orange frame with an orange plastic air box that's shaped differently than the prior years.

Will do, seem like I'm calling Al once a week anyway for something else I just discovered I need to replace or repair.

I'm sure I should know this but I don't, what's the advantage of the stainless steel spokes over stock besides not rusting as fast?  Are they stronger or more durable or ?
Thanks,

Tom

John,

Thanks, I never even thought to look there, and I just got some parts (o-rings and bearings) for the swingarm and steering head from him last week.  Guess I'll have to order some more stuff!

Tom

Pepper,

That's the plan.  Of course that was the plan about two years ago when I got the 30 year itch on wanting to ride again. I have a '73 250 CZ a '78 400 KTM and the '76 250 Penton in various stages of disassembly/disrepair.  Seems I have a much better ability to take them apart than put them back together.  Also seems to take much more time and money.  But when I do get them back together count me in.

TomG

Thanks guys.  I have the parts, just don't have the "face spanner".  That's a new one to me.  It will probably take that and some heat to get these things apart judging from how hard it was to get the cap off the main shock body. I'm in Austin, Tx. so I'll look around here first but there's probably not as many resources as in Detroit. The shocks I have are the #2's.

Thanks again.

P.S. Racer, weren't you working on reproducing side panels for a '78 400?  I'm still looking for a pair of those as well as a rear fender for the '78.

I finally got the frame and forks back from the sandblasters. I've found some Chevy engine red/orange spray paint at AutoZone. Is this what you're referring to or is it something I need to get at a specality auto paint store?

Mike, I don't know for sure if the '77 is an MC or GS model, it does have the same shape gas tank as my '76 as well as no loop on the rear frame section over the fender so I've assumed it is the MX version. In fact, the frame looks identical to the '76 except for the lower motor mount brackets and the dual footpegs. The pipe is the same also.  It didn't have side panels or airbox so can't say what those may have been.  The motor mount brackets look factory, they look exactly like the ones on the '78.  Is there a definitive way to tell if this is a GS or MC, S/N or something?

I was wondering about that dual footpeg thing.  I bought a '77 parts bike off of e-bay about six months ago and when it arrived it had the same dual footpeg arrangement.  I wasn't aware of that frame style. I have a '76 MC5 I bought new and a '78 I bought off e-bay and neither have the dual footpeg setup.  The other difference I've noticed is that my '76 does not have a motor mount bracket on the frame under the engine while the '77 and '78 do.  Any idea when and why this was added?  There is a hole through the cases on the '76 but no mount or bolt to go through it.

 

That sounds like my best bet then.  I don't think there's any way I could get the ones in the steering stem out.  Is the stem supposed to detach from the lower triple clamp? Mine won't (easily) and there's no way to get under the part the bearing race is in to remove it.  Sorry for so many questions but I don't have a parts manual yet.  I've ordered one from Al but he's having to print some more up and I'm trying to get this to the painters before next week.  Thanks again.

I guess I just thought I was ready to have the frame stripped.  I'm having trouble getting the bearing races out of the steering head and the triple clamps.  None of the races want to come out easily and before I started to use a hammer and drift I wanted to make sure this was normal.  I also see where these races are hard to source so I was wondering if one option is to leave them in and then try to clean them up after the frame is stripped and repainted? Any suggestions?

Thanks much for the info.  I was wondering about the grit factor on the forks.  Guess I'll have to disassemble the swingarm from the frame too.  Based on what I've read on earlier posts I'm not looking forward to that.

Thanks for the info. I do still have the old CZ so I'll try that out first.

I'm working on a restore of a '78 400 and have just found that the slot on the crankshaft where the motoplat woodruff key goes is wallowed out (did I spell that right?).  Anyone have a solution to this, welding, JB Weld, bigger woodruff key?

Thanks